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2006 Feedback

Started by nTZ, 29 June, 2009, 11:28

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nTZ


      For 2006, I'm sorry I'm way behind in putting your feedback on to the website. Rather than work through the backlog, with a risk of never catching up, I'm trying to keep up to date in 2007.




See also

    * C.C Monckton & Co.
    * H.W. Sear

nTZ Feedback, 2006
Extract Author: Roderick MacInnes
Page Number: 2006 03 05
Incredible

For some unknown reason or another today, I just decided to enter my grandfather's name into Google search, and low and behold I found an entry in your system under the heading C.C. Monckton & Co. for H.W. Sear Ltd.

My grandfather was H.W. Sear, Henry William Sear. I believe that he died about 1936 in England, having left his farm at Lumuru (excuse me if the spelling is incorrect) just prior to that as he was suffering from a form of cancer. I know that he had 6 children, and that his wife (Constance Mary) left Africa when he passed away. I believe that one of his sons (Paul, Henry, or Oliver) may have stayed on to look after his business after he passed away. My mother was born just outside Nairobi in 1923, and told me a number of stories about her father including that he imported John Deere tractors into Kenya. I'm also aware that he was an avid pilot and flew a Gypsy Moth into and around that area. I in fact have the clock from his last plane.

But unfortunately I know little else.

Do you, by any stroke of luck, have any other information or photographs of anything connected to him that you would be able to forward to me.

Please can you help, or point me in the direction of someone who might be able to.

Yours faithfully

Roderick MacInnes

Roderick

Glad to have been able to provide a tiny bit of the puzzle of your grandfather's life.

The entry you found was a copy of an advert in a little booklet published in 1929 to promote Arusha town. Advert obviously by a firm called CC Monckton who were agents for HW Sear.

Unfortunately I think that will be all I know. My focus is mainly on Northern Tanzania, and I don't have many books relating to Kenya. I've just looked in a 1927 East African Handbook, but can't see any adverts or other information about HW Sear. You would need to find people who specialise more in Kenyan history.

For example there is:

Europeans in British Administered East Africa, A provisional List 1889 - 1903

Stephen J North

ISBN 0 9524754 2 1

First ed 1995

Second ed (with illustrations) 2000

pub privately (I think) by

Stephen J North

22 Belmont

Wantage

OX12 9AS

Good luck in your search

Extract ID: 5125



See also

    * Arusha School Alumni
    * Mark Morgan
    * Gaynor Watkins

nTZ Feedback, 2006
Page Number: 2006 07 30
Extract Date: 1956-57
Gaynor Watkins, Arusha School, 1956-57

Not sure if this is the right email address but will give it a try. I went to Arusha School from 1956 - 57 and am about go back to Arusha for the first in nearly 50 years in four weeks time I saw one of the emails was from Mark Morgan who I knew well. Any chance of exchanging email addresses. My name then was Gaynor Watkins

Many thanks

Gaynor (Watkins) Hicks

Gaynor

I'm copying Mark with this email, and hope you can then make contact.

Enjoy your trip - you will find big changes in Arusha, but suprisingly most of the layout and the main buildings around the clock tower remain the same (except for the New Arusha Hotel which has been rebuilt). There's been a lot of clean-up also over the last few years, but the population has grown enormously, and behind the main roads there are extensive shanty towns. School is still there, with about 1200 pupils in buildings which housed 300 50 years ago. I heard recently that some of the eucalytus trees had fallen on the headmaster's house. Not sure if the school will be open in August/September. And of course the tortoise is still there.

We must have overlapped - I was there 1953 - April 1957.

Will be interested in any feedback after your visit.

Thanks so much for getting back to me David. Our paths must have crossed!

My brother Keith Watkins was 4 years older than me so was there longer. I was only 5 and think was only there 18 months before we left Arusha to go and live in Fiji. We used to live at Olmitonyi - my father was with the forestry department and buil a school out there 50 years ago It was a long way out of town and we lived across the road from a masai village.

I am going back to there to help be part of a team of volunteers with Rotary who are going to help with the building some more classrooms for St Judes School - a school built for children from extremely poor backgrounds. Expect it will be quite emotional. I started looking at the website so I could pych myself up to see the changes. I was born in Arusha Hospital in 1952 so hope there is something l left of that.

I remember the tortoise and have photos of it somewhere - amazing it is still there! I will be in Arusha for 4 weeks so hopefully the school will still be there.

I was in Mark Morgan's brother class - Brian - My parents were good friends of theirs and we did catch up when we were in England about 35 years ago - the last time I say Mark. I say his mother and father on another visit 20 years ago. My father is still alive and still keeps in contact with some of the people he knew there.

Great website. Will be great if I hear from Mark as it sounds he went there last September so will maybe will be able to give me some more info.

Will take photos and let you know how I go.
Extract ID: 5157